Khoresht is a stew or a braise and Ghormeh Sabzi is a khoresht. Ghormeh Sabzi is to Iranian cuisine what Michael Jackson is to the Jackson 5. Ghormeh sabzi is the essence of Iranian cooking. It has all the right ingredients and flavors to make you want to try more Iranian food. Every Iranian knows this dish and it’s most likely because they grew up with the taste and smell in their home. Ghormeh sabzi has the most particular aroma. Everyone in the house knows you’re making ghormeh sabzi. “Ghormeh” mean stew and “sabzi” means greens or herbs. The original recipe calls for a large amount of parsley, leeks, green onions, coriander and fenugreek leaves to be washed, cut and fried. But seriously, who has the time for that these days? In Iran, people buy their herbs pre-washed, cut and packaged. All ready to be thrown in the pot. Or they buy the herbs and have someone wash, cut and cook it for them. Can’t do that anywhere else, but we can buy our herbs pre-cooked in a can. Some people might call it cheating, I call it; having a full time job, housework, family and a social life. You can find these at most Middle Eastern stores. There are many brands out there. Just read the label and make sure it says something along the lines of fried herbs, or cooked herbs. Some will even say “for Ghormeh Sabzi” right on the can. If you are not sure, ask the store attendant. When I discovered the cans of herbs, my confidence in the kitchen grew immensely, because now I was able to make GHORMEH SABZI!!!! Like hello, that’s pretty amazing! You can make this dish in one and half hours and make all your neighbors jealous. The secret to the most amazing Ghormeh sabzi however is how long you let it simmer. The longer it simmers, the longer the herbs and spices have a chance to mingle, dance and fall madly in love with one another. The longer it simmers, the more potent the love and aroma that fills the air. This is the perfect dish to make for a dinner party. You can make it the night before and preheat on the night of the party to save time. The khoresht is served with polo and tadig and sides such as yogurt, and salads.

Start with the ghee in your non stick pot. Cut your onion into cubes and put it in the pot. Fry on medium heat for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Stir occasionally so the onions don’t stick and burn.

Add your thawed stewing beef and mix together with the onions. Its important that the meat is not frozen when cooking it. If you are pulling it out of the freezer, it’s best to do it in the morning so its thawed by the time you want to make dinner.

Add all your spices and lemon juice. Mix well and leave to cook on medium for 2 minutes.

Add your can of herbs and mix well. Fill your can with water and pour in your pot. Mix well then leave on medium heat and cover. Cook for 20 minutes.

Take your dried limes and poke holes in them with a knife (BE CAREFUL!!!) Put the limes in the pot, cover and cook for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, drain and wash your can of kidney beans. Why wash? Read the list of ingredients on the can. What is Disodium Edta or Calcium Chloride and why do I need that in my stew? OHHH I don’t need it! So I wash it off. Notice your beans will foam when you wash them. Keep the water running on them until there is no more foam. Add your clean red kidney beans to your stew. Reduce your heat to low and cook for another 30 minutes.

Since everyone’s stove is different, remember this is a stew. So it shouldn’t be too watery or dry. If you feel it’s too diluted, let it cook a little longer. If it seems a little dry, add a little water and let it sit for a few minutes. Your stew is perfectly done! If you have more time, let it simmer for another 30min to an hour on low!!!!!